Some current inspiration

Due to the massive amount of music I tend to consume, I thought it would be advantageous for me to buy a subscription to a streaming service. This was a great idea. I've been searching around RDIO looking for music I've never checked out before and found a few gems.

First, one single that I've been listening to obsessively is Panda Bear's newest B-Side "Slow Motion". Now, I've never really been one for Animal Collective, but Panda Bear's solo stuff is amazing. There's so much subtlety in this song beneath the constant vocal harmony. It's easy to dismiss the piece as an overly repetitive composition, but when you get below the surface of the tune, you start to hear all of the little efforts in the track that keep it a cut above:

Second, I've been listening to a bunch of new gospel lately too. Isreal Houghton's band is one of the best in the business, and everything they play feels amazing. "Saved By Grace" is from his Grammy winning album. While it's not necessarily the best song on the album, there's one spot that's just awe inspiring. Listen to the whole thing, but especially the hits that they play around 2:54.

Thought these two songs are almost polar opposites, I guess the connecting tissue between these two songs are the blankets of harmony, groove, and the layers in the arrangement. Call me old fashioned, but I'm a sucker for a great arrangement.